7 Writing to Research

Many first-time-in-college students grew up with Google close at hand. Have a question? Ask the internet and thousands of algorithms and bots will be at your fingertips, prepared to provide potential answers.

Without a doubt, asking your trusty Google advisor questions is one way of conducting initial research. However, it’s not the most reliable way of conducting research. In later chapters, we’ll unpack how to find dependable sources and evidence-based information that will bolster your claims and your credibility as a writer. Being able to discern between reliable and unreliable sources is a skill called information literacy, and developing this skill in your writing classes will serve you well as you advance in your coursework. College writing instructors expect you to provide high-quality research to support arguments you make in your writing because you have access to library catalogs and databases overflowing with peer-reviewed, vetted information. Google is a good place to start if you need help determining keywords, but many genres of writing assignments taught at the college level will require you to provide high-quality evidence.

What’s more, college-level writing often begins with a research question you want to answer, and the research you find to answer this question will start to texture your understanding of larger issues complicating how to answer this question. Nevertheless, through the act of weaving together sources of reliable research and information, you’ll find that the answers become clearer the more you write. In effect, you will write to learn answers to questions rather than write with the answers already in mind.